understanding carousel horses
a popular comment in and out of the carousel community is that “ carousel horses look like they are in pain. “
i’ve always felt this statement villainized the actual intentions behind the carousel horse itself and dismisses the artistic effort that is put into these beautiful carvings
now, to dive into the anatomy of a carousel horse, we have to look at our target audience; children
while traveling carnivals visited all kinds of locations and people of various backgrounds, carousels were always created for enjoyment and so people who never had a horse could experience a horse
often, these were children who dreamt of riding horses but could not afford or care for one, a carousel to them was the closest chance they had to that dream
because of this, carousel carvers wanted to display animals with life, energy, & character! not only were real life horses used as inspiration but historical statues of horses were too
remember that carousels became very popular during the late 1800s, horse statues were the perfect reference for artists who needed a horse in motion
carousel horses commonly have their mouths open to show them whinnying/neighing, speaking to the rider, telling them to “ hang on! “ and enjoy the thrill of the ride
another note is that carousel horses ears were commonly designed facing back due to transportation
these are carvings that were packed up & unloaded constantly, it was easier for the horses ears to break off if they were standing straight up
when a horse's ears are pointed back, it doesn’t always mean fear or aggression, it can also mean they are listening to their rider or surroundings behind them
this minor detail invites the rider into the carousel horses world, not only are they neighing/talking but they are listening to you as well
a horse displaying signs of pain should never be ignored but carousels are not romanticized horses in pain
they were carved to give us joy, memories, and a stronger love for our equine friends
